Evangelicals Now
<< February 1999 >>

All God's Children - Stories of Children at Risk in a World of Need

All God's Children
Stories of Children at Risk in a World of Need
By Mary Batchelor and Ron Newby
Global Care Publishing. 183 pages. £12.99
ISBN 0 9533929 0 2

Suffering from a touch of compassion fatigue? Don't disregard this book. You won't regret buying it - the proceeds all go to the Coventry-based Christian charity 'Global Care', who since 1983 have been making a difference to suffering children in various parts of the world.
I was not too keen to read, let alone review, this book, as I felt I had heard it all before: all, that is, except the name of this charity. Yet as I began to get into the book, my cynicism faded - the motto of the organisation appealed to me: 'You cannot do everything, but you mustn't do nothing!' - and soon, the occasional irritating cliches lost importance as I learnt of the terrible suffering of little children and the great difference the kindness of Christians has made in their lives. At the same time, I realised that far from loading me down with an even heavier sense of guilt at my own feeble response, I was being encouraged to do my bit - however large or small that bit might be.
This book is a very 'easy read' and therefore accessible to anyone. I am not sure who will want to buy or read this book - probably someone interested in helping the less fortunate or someone who has already been involved with this charity and wants to keep abreast of their activities. It is divided into 18 chapters with five appendices. Each chapter represents a different country and includes a brief history of Global Care's involvement with that country, a summary of the needs of children there and some moving stories of how the Christian message has reached individual children and changed their lives. There is also a map and synopsis of basic facts about that country. The photographs are in black and white - this helps to soften the impact of one or two photos which depict the horror of what many children are put through.
The book closes with those haunting words of Jesus: 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did it for Me.' Be encouraged.

Penny Fernandez